Skokie Village officials and First Bank & Trust CEO Robert Yohanan celebrate the grand opening of the 4007 Dempster branch.

First Bank & Trust officers and staff hosted a ribbon-cutting and grand opening reception for over 200 business leaders and bank customers on Dec. 6th at the bank’s newest branch office at 4007 Dempster Street in Skokie. The 3,600 square foot branch was designed to meet the requirements of a LEED® gold-certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). Amidst an economic environment that has seen an increase in banks closed by regulators, and a decrease in new bank openings in the Chicago area, First Bank & Trust has opened eight branch locations in 16 years.

Designed by Behles+Behles architects of Evanston, the building which includes geothermal heating, a live roof and 100% LED lighting, is believed to be the first bank in the region designed and built to achieve LEED® gold-certification.

Read press coverage highlights on the new branch:

Evanston Review

Opening Day: Money isn’t all that’s green

Skokie bank office on the cutting edge of green

New bank in Skokie keeps environment a priority

TribLocal

The green branch of First Bank & Trust to open soon

First Bank & Trust celebrates grand opening of eco-friendly branch

Grand Opening photo gallery

Skokie welcomes green bank

Evanston RoundTable

In Green Building, What’s Old is What’s New

First Bank & Trust Goes Green in Skokie

Evanston Now

First Bank opens green office in Skokie

First Bank & Trust building branch in Skokie

Jewish Business News

Skokie bank breaks ground on green branch

India Post

First green facility by First Bank & Trust

India Tribune

First Bank & Trust celebrates grand opening of eco-friendly Skokie branch

Daily Northwestern

Green bank nears completion

Evanston architect breaks ground on Skokie bank; aims for LEED gold-certification

Piccolo Theatre and MIC present Evanston150's Final 10 Ideas. Photo by Karen Kring

Kick Start Marketing Chicago provided marketing planning, project management and media relations services for Evanston150, a community-wide grassroots initiative to identify and create 10 visionary projects to celebrate Evanston’s 150th anniversary in 2013. The final 10 ideas, from a total 2,201 submitted by community members, were unveiled November 10, 2011 at the Black Tie & Blue Jean Party held at the Levy Center. Over 300 residents joined Northwestern University theater professor Rives Collins, the Natural Trumpet Ensemble of the Music Institute of Chicago, Piccolo Theatre actors and community leader presenters to celebrate the unveiling and get to work on implementing the ideas.

Read media coverage of the Nov. 10 celebration:

The Evanston Review / Chicago Sun-Times

Evanston150 makes no small plans

Citizens Get to Work on 10 Ambitious Ideas

TribLocal / Chicago Tribune

Time for Work: Evanston150 unveils final 10 ideas

Evanston Now

Party lets big idea fans get to work

Evanston150 unveils top 10 ideas

The Daily Northwestern

Evanston150 unveils top 10 ideas for city’s future

Evanston150 reveals selection jury members

First Bank & Trust Director Jay Lytle addresses groundbreaking crowd

First Bank & Trust broke ground May 9, 2011 for the construction of a 3,600 square-foot LEED® certified branch office at 4007 Dempster in Skokie. LEED is an acronym for Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design. Designed by Evanston architectural firm Behles+Behles, the cutting-edge facility will be among the first financial institutions in the Midwest designed to achieve the rigorous requirements of a LEED® gold-certification as established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

For media coverage on the event see the links below:

TribLocal

Sun-Times

Jewish Business News Chicago

Evanston Roundtable

Evanston Now

Daily Northwestern